Fluid injection machine



SePt- 14, 1954 l.. c. MoRToN Erm.

FLUID INJECTION MACHINE' 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 2, 1952 Sept- 14 1954 I n.. c. Mom-0N TAL 2,689,075

FLUID INJEcTloN MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 006. 2, 1952 INVENTORS. ss-ren 1A/0mm C A @Les R/Vormm TTFA/EYS Patented Sept. 1.4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID INJECTION MACHINE Lester Clifford Morton, Danbury, and Charles Philip Mottram, Stratford, Conn., assignors to Bridgeport Brass Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October 2, 1952, Serial N0. 312,832

2 Claims. f1

This invention relates to a iluid injection machine developed particularly for the purpose of loading pregassed cans with cream under pressure so as to produce gassed cream or so-called Whipped cream dispensing packages. However, the principles of the invention may be used for other purposes.

One of the objects is to provide a machine which may be easily disassembled and assembled by an unskilled person so as to permit the cleaning, sterilization and inspection required at frequent intervals by most health departments in the case of equipment handling food products. Another object is to provide a means for injecting a liquid into a container or the like and which means is of relatively inexpensive construction permitting ready disassembly and assembly of its various working parts.

As indicated above, a machine incorporating the present invention may be made so that it is particularly adapted to load a pre-gassed container with cream, although it may be used for other purposes. Such a container may comprise a sheet metal can body having can ends which are inwardly concave to resist internal pressure and with one of the can ends having a central hole formed through it in which is installed an elastically deformable tubular grommet having its bore closed by a relatively thick web through which a normally closed slit is formed so as to open when pressure is applied to the otuside surface of the web.- The package device disclosed hereinafter in this invention involves features disclosed and claimed by the Eiford and Mottram patent application Serial No. 176,108, iiled July 27, 1950, and by the continuation-in-part application subsequently filed by the same inventors on September 20, 1952, bearing Serial No. 310,708. In conjunction with disclosing a machine embodying the present invention, a new fluid dispensing package device and packaging procedure or cream gassing practice will also be disclosed, and in this connection attention is called to the fact that the features thus involved are disclosed and claimed by the Morton application led October 2, 1952, and bearing Serial No. 312,831.

In making fluid dispensing packages oi the pressure discharge type, it has heretofore been customary to charge the liquid to be dispensed in a can or the like and thereafter inject the `compressed gas providing the dispensing power. In the case of a gassed cream dispensing package, the described practice has been followed generally in so far as commercial operations of a practical nature are involved.

A relatively new conception involves the use of a can containing a normally closed valve in the form of a grommet and in which the gas is charged before loading the container with the liquid to be dispensed. This results in what is in effect a self-powered package device which may be produced in large quantities and sent to the merchandisers of liquids such as cream. All the merchandisers have to do is to inject the cream or other liquid into the cans so as to vproduce iiuid dispensing packages of the pressure discharge type. In the case of cream, the product is charged as gassed -cream simulating whipped cream when discharged or dispensed. In al1 such cases, the liquid merchaniser who makes up the iinal packages must have a fluid injection machine for loading the packages.

A machine embodying the principles of the present invention and particularly designed for use for injecting cream in the pre-gassed cans or containers, is disclosed hereinafter for the purpose of explaining the principles of the present invention, this description referring to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

The illustrated machine includes a at, elongated base I on top and at one end of which is mounted a reciprocating motor 2 providing a powered reciprocating shaft 3 extending parallel to the base l. The motor 2 is not internally illustrated because it may consist simply of a piston working in a cylinder and provided with compressed fluid such as compressed air to provide for reciprocating the piston. The drawings do illustrate the general size of the device. The attachment tol the base may be effected by this motor having cylinder heads 2u; formed as brackets and fastenedto the base l by screws l.

Referring now to Fig. 3 for details, an upstanding bracket 5 is mounted on the base l by being fastened to it by screws 6. This bracket has a cylindrical opening 'l in line with and concentric with the shaft 3. An annular shoulder or flange 8 extends inwardly from the opening or bore l at a location spaced from the end of the opening 'l which is away from the motor 2. As shown, the shoulder 8 is at the opposite end of the opening 'l which is towards the motor 2.

An injection cylinder 9 of tubular shape and having a cylindrical exterior and fully open opposite ends is positioned with one of its ends inserted in the brackets cylindrical bore 1 and with one end of the cylinder abutting the inside of the shoulder 8. The cylinder 9 is made like a tube having a concentric inside and outside. The cylinders outside slidingly but closely ts the bore 'I and the shoulder 8 has a radial length equalling the wall thickness of the cylinder so that the annular edge of this shoulder 8 is ilush with the bore of the cylinder 9.

A laterally open saddle I is mounted on the base I adjacent to the other end of the cylinder 9, this saddle mounting being effected by screws II. This saddle laterally supports the cylinder 9 and is made with a semi-cylindrical seat fitting the outside of the cylinder 9. The entire top of the saddle I0 is open, this saddle having a U- shaped resting surface for the cylinder. This saddle I0 is firmly positioned relative to the bracket and both are, of course, xedly positioned by the common base I.

A cap I2 abuts this other cylinder end remote from the bracket 5 and screws I3 fasten this cap I2 to the saddle I0 so that tightening of the screws I3 forces the cap I2 against the abutted end of the cylinder 9 and also towards the saddle I0 and, of course, the bracket 5. Thus the cylinder 1 is clamped between the bracket 5 and the cap I2, the latter serving to both thus mount rigidly the cylinder and also to close the adjacent end of the latter. When the screws I3 are released, the cylinder 9 is unclamped and may be pulled back from the bore I and laterally removed from the saddle I0 for inspection and cleaning.

The cap I2 has a forwardly projecting threaded neck I4 on which is screwed a nozzle body I5 from which a blunt ended tube I6 projects forwardly. This tube connects with the interior side of the cap I2 through a passage I'l provided with a check valve I8 which permits the exit of fluid from the cylinder. A spring I9 provides the bias for this check valve I8, the spring being retained by the nozzle body I5 so that, when the latter is unscrewed, both the spring and the valve may be removed for inspection and cleaning.

The cap I2 provides a backwardly projecting piston 29 through which the passage I'I opens and which has a cylindrical exterior in which an annular groove 2I is formed. An elastic O-ring 22 ts in this groove 2I so as to provide a positive seal, the piston 20 being stationary and functioning as a plug. This piston or plug is removable with the cap I2 upon unfastening of the screw I3 and the O-ring 22 may be removed from the groove 2 I merely by stretching the O-ring. When the cap l2 is removed, the entire end of the cylinder 9 is open so that its interior may be inspected and cleaned.

The previously-described package device is shown as a metal can having a body 23 of the cylindrical, soldered side seam type, and as having inwardly concave can ends 24 in one of which a hole is formed in which is installed the previously described rubber grommet 25. The tube I6 ts in this grommet 25 and, when pushed against its slit web 26 opens the slit in the latter so that the valve is in effect opened. Therefore, by pushing the package against the nozzle or tube I6, communication is established with the inside of the package device. The interior of the described can may be pre-gassed as with carbon dioxide or a mixture of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide in the case of gassed cream packaging.

A can rest or support 2l' is 'mounted vto the base I by screws 29 on the side of the cap I2 away from the cylinder -9 and beyond that a reciprocating motor 29 of the cylinder and piston type is supported by the base on a pedestal 30. This motor provides a reciprocating shaft 3I aligned with the nozzle tube I6 and provided with a large disk 32 for engaging the bottom of the package device. In use, the package device is positioned so that the tube I6 inserts in its grommet or tubular valve 25 and the motor 29 is operated so as to push the outer end of the tube I6 rmly against the web 26 of the grommet 25.

A reciprocating plunger 33 is positioned inside of the cylinder 9. This piston has a smooth front face and a smooth cylindrical side wall excepting .that the latter is provided with an annular groove 34 in which an elastic O-ring 35 is positioned to effect uid-tight sealing with the inside of the cylinder 9. This O-ring also may be easily removed by stretching to permit inspection and cleaning. Since both ends of the cylinder 9 are fully open, the plunger 33 may be easily removed through either end. This plunger has a projecting stub 36 on its outside end and the shaft 3 has a bore 3a in which this stub 36 ts, a Cotter pin 31 being passed through a transverse hole formed through both the shaft and the stub. This provides a quickly-released means for interconnecting the shaft 3 and the plunger 33, the latter functioning as the injection plunger of the machine.

The injection cylinder 9 is loaded by gravity and suction when the plunger 33 is pulled back- Wardly by the motor 2. This is done through a vertical loading port 38 formed in the side of the cylinder 9 adjacent to its forward or cap end. An upstanding neck 39 is secured to the top of the cylinder so as to feed this port 38 when a suitable hopper is secured to the neck 39. A check va-lve 40 is located in the neck and biased upwardly by a spring 4I which engages the valve and at its other end rests on the top of the cylinder 9. As shown, the valve seat may be supported by a removable element 42 which is retained in the neck 39 by the hopper screwed on top of this neck, whereby when the hopper is removed the part 42 and the valve 49 and its spring 4I are all removable. The hopper may .be conventional and is not illustrated.

A control valve 43 is secured to the rear cylinder head 2a of the motor 2. This valve has an inlet 44 which connects with a source of compressed air or other fluid. When the valve operator 45 is pushed in one direction, the cornpressed air passes through a rear connection 46 to the back end of the motor 2, and when the operator is pushed in the other direction the air goes through a connection 41 to the front end of the motor 2, whereby to reciprocate the piston inside of this motor 2 in the desired direction. This in turn reciprocates the plunger 33 so as to pull it lback and suck the cream into the injection cylinder 9 and so that the plunger may then advance and inject a charge of the cream into the package device clamped in position by the action of the Amotor 29. The rear connection 4B has a branch pipe 48 which goes to the rear end of the motor 29 behind its piston, this motor 29 having its piston biased `backwardly by an internal spring. Therefore, as the plunger 33 receives advancing force, the motor 29 applies advancing force to the disk 32.

In order to have the disk 32 advance prior to the advance of the plunger 33, the motor 29 is made with a cylinder and piston of substantially smaller diameter than that of the motor 2. The external dimensions of the respective motors clearly indicate the relationship. As a result of this size difference, air passing through the connection 4S and the pipe y4'8 causes the smaller motor 29 to operate rst so that there is a sequential operation of the two motors with the motor 2.9 operating rst as just stated. Therefore, there is no danger of the package device not being clamped rmly in position prior to the advance of the plunger 33.

When the operator 45 is moved to connect the air inlet 44 with the pipe 41, so as to retract the shaft 3 and plunger 33, the valve 43 connects the connection 48 with an exhaust outlet 49 so as to relieve the pressure in the back end of the motor 2 and, through the pipe 48, in the back end of the motor 29, the latters spring then returning the shaft 3l and disk 32 so that the package device is released.

It can now be seen that a relatively inexpensive fluid injection machine is provided which may be used to load the package device described. When used for cream, the machine meets health department standards in that it may be very quickly disassembled completely for inspection, cleaning and sterilization of its individual parts. At the same time, this disassembly and the subsequent reassembly are simple operations requiring no mechanical skill.

We claim:

1. A fluid injection machine for loading uid into a container having an end provided with a hole having a normally closed, pressure opened valve mounted therein; said machine including a base, a reciprocating motor mounted on said base and providing a powered reciprocatory shaft extending parallel to said base, a bracket mounted on said base in front of said shaft and having a cylindrical opening in line with said shaft and from which an annular shoulder extends inwardly at a location spaced from the end of said opening which is away from said motor, an injection cylinder having a cylindrical exterior and fully open opposite ends and positioned with one of said ends inserted in said brackets cylindrical opening and abutting said annular shoulder, a laterally open saddle mounted on said base adjacent to the other end of said cylinder and laterally supporting said cylinder parallel to said base, a cap abutting said other cylinder end, screws fastening said cap` to said saddle and forcing said cap towards said bracket so as to clamp said cylinder therebetween, a plunger reciprocatively positioned inside of said cylinder, releasable means for interconnecting said shaft and said plunger, a fiuid supply inlet for said cylinder, an injection nozzle projecting forwardly from said cap and cornmunicating with the inside of said cylinder, a support for said container mounted on said base in front of said nozzle, a second reciprocatory motor mounted on said base and providing a reciprocatory shaft in front of said support for pushing said container so as to cause said nozzle to apply opening pressure to said containers valve, and means for operating said reciprocatory motors sequentially with the second named motor operating rst in each instance.

2. A fluid injection machine for loading fluid into a container having a loading opening, said machine including an injection cylinder and plunger, a iiuid cylinder and piston motor for re ciprocating said plunger, an injection nozzle for said injection cylinder, a container push-up cylinder and piston with the latter constructed and .arranged to push the container against said nozzle with the latter engaging the containers loading opening, and a common source of fluid pressure connected to both of said cylinders to power their said pistons, the cylinder and piston diameter of said push-up cylinder and piston motor being less than that of the other of said motors, whereby the push-up occurs iirst and prior to injection when said common connection is established.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 380,185 Chase Mar. 27, 1888 1,191,831 Royer et al. July 18, 1916 1,719,806 Jeffrey et al. July 2, 1929 2,553,788 Richardson et al. May 22, 1951 2,593,362 Taylor Apr. 15, 1952 

